What is your paper's approach to the web?

[flexmaster33]

Seems like a question we're all wrestling with now.

Here's what we do...
We run condensed gamers (usually 3-4 paragraphs) and put them up on the web ideally each night although with staff cuts that is getting more difficult. For features, I'll take the first five paragraphs and post it up, then direct browsers to the print product to read the full feature. Same idea with columns. Occasionally, a feature or column will run in full on the web, but I keep it pretty rare.

The reaction, is often frustration on the web whiners' part because they get into a story only to have it cut off. Of course, the tag at the end of those stories tells them where they can go to read the expanded version. In other words buy a paper.
Other people seem to get it, and I've had some positive comments thanking us for getting the info up quickly...especially in the case of tournaments and such when people want to know when a certain team is playing the next day.

 

[Mark2010]

Yep, websites are killing the newspapers faster than anything electronic media could do. Why buy the product when you can get it for free?

Our approach was to not replace the online editor who resigned and just have the copy desk post stuff. Management would like us to post continuous updates of breaking news, including scores of games and stuff. My response is that I have a newspaper to paginate and don't have time for that nonsense and that they should hire an online editor.

 

[Colton]

Being a CNHI shop, here is the plan... *crickets*

 

[Stitch]

Seems like a question we're all wrestling with now.

Here's what we do...
We run condensed gamers (usually 3-4 paragraphs) and put them up on the web ideally each night although with staff cuts that is getting more difficult. For features, I'll take the first five paragraphs and post it up, then direct browsers to the print product to read the full feature. Same idea with columns. Occasionally, a feature or column will run in full on the web, but I keep it pretty rare.

The reaction, is often frustration on the web whiners' part because they get into a story only to have it cut off. Of course, the tag at the end of those stories tells them where they can go to read the expanded version. In other words buy a paper.
Other people seem to get it, and I've had some positive comments thanking us for getting the info up quickly...especially in the case of tournaments and such when people want to know when a certain team is playing the next day.

How many people are going to buy a paper to read the full story? The same geniuses who came up with this idea also try selling online ads that read "Click here to see the ads in the paper". I know I'm excited to see the 1x1 insurance ad online.

 

[SixToe]

One thing I find aggravating is a long story or column is broken into multiple Web pages, sometimes up to eight or 10 for something really long like a takeout.

But the regular 15-18 inch column put on two or three Web pages is nothing more than an attempt to get you to click again, and again, and again. I refuse. I would rather read it in print.

I guess that's today's version of the "They won't read a jump" mentality. So be it.

The paper's plan is short stories, multiple postings (quotas, actually) and a move to more video postings.

 

[Stitch]

One thing I find aggravating is a long story or column is broken into multiple Web pages, sometimes up to eight or 10 for something really long like a takeout.

But the regular 15-18 inch column put on two or three Web pages is nothing more than an attempt to get you to click again, and again, and again. I refuse. I would rather read it in print.

I guess that's today's version of the "They won't read a jump" mentality. So be it.

The paper's plan is short stories, multiple postings (quotas, actually) and a move to more video postings.

Video doesn't work either. How many people really want to see shaky, poorly-edited highlight of some prep game?

 

[crimsonace]

What I would do at my old shop (which has a deadline so ridiculous that it's impossible to get the next day's stuff in the paper).

*-After a game, immediately post a running gamer -- 6-8", maybe one quote -- on the web. Lede is in front of the paywall, the rest behind.
*-Point to the paper for a printed story, which will be a more in-depth, second-day, featurized angle.
*-Use the web to promo upcoming stories, editions, coverage and for breaking stories. Give them something different, deeper.

Also, I would stream audio/video of some local sporting events that we're covering, provide more value-added content (weekly sports podcast with excerpts of interviews, photo galleries) and create some avenues for reader interaction.

OWN the media in your community. Use the web to become that go-to place multimedia-wise.

 

[UPChip]

We give 'em practically everything. I used to think not to do so was an insult to the reader, but now I realize that it's pretty much cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Our corporate overlords say they are working on a paywall system, but in their last visit, they did bring up a good point that may explain why we've been so slow to move in that direction. They claim websites with paywalls murder insert revenue - that is, if I'm already paying to read the paper online, why should I pay again for a print copy just because it has more stuff I have to throw away in it? And though I'm not versed in this method -- another paper in the region does this that isn't in our ownership group -- I would think that a website with a fraction of the content and the rest deliberately withheld would be much harder to sell.

 

[Turtle Wexler]

Stitch: If nobody else has video of that prep game? Lots. Traffic for prep video at our place is decent and steady.

 

[Stitch]

How much are those videos bringing in?

As for making money, Web development teams should be actively developing apps for the iPhone, iPad, Android phones and the upcoming "Honeycomb" Android OS for tablets.

Trying to hold on to print revenue for dear life without doing anything else is like investing in a new linotype machine in the '80s.

 

[lesboulez]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Linotype-machine-complete-w-spare-parts-and-extras-/300511854528?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f7e6ffc0

 

[Turtle Wexler]

We run a preroll ad on videos, so they sell against it. It provides another advertising position.

Look, is a shaky Flip highlight video of the local NFL team's regular season game going to get hits? Only from the mother of the person who shot it. Not worth the time and effort. But if you're doing something nobody else is, there's a good chance you can monetize it.

 

[podunk press]

We've tried the video route. Never got more than 2,000 hits on anything out here in Podunk, where high-speed internet access remains spotty.

I don't worry about the revenue aspect of it because I can't control it. I'm just trying to drum up as many hits as I can for our site. So I post frequently, post hits on our Facebook site and our Twitter feed, and I hope for the best.

 

[Central-KY-Kid]

Paper gets out first, then we put stuff online. However, since we don't have a Saturday edition, short, non-quote recaps of Friday night hoops/basketball games that were staffed will be put online. Those are replaced with the optional.

If you want the TV schedule, high school sports schedule, community notice bulletin board, youth/rec/outdoors photos, you have to buy the paper or get the e-edition two days later.

Adding a pay wall later on. Editor wants very few things to be free, such as obits, traffic or weather warnings and disaster/catastrophe/shooting type of things. So for sports, we might not have much in terms of free for the web.

Print subscribers will have a passwords for the pay wall that are locked into IP addresses, IIRC.

 

[Ace]

Our paper's approach to the web was to carefully tip-toe up to it, sniff around suspiciously, let it lie there for a while and watch from the bushes, pee on it after a while and then decide it's your new best friend.

 

[Turtle Wexler]

We've tried the video route. Never got more than 2,000 hits on anything out here in Podunk, where high-speed internet access remains spotty.

I don't worry about the revenue aspect of it because I can't control it. I'm just trying to drum up as many hits as I can for our site. So I post frequently, post hits on our Facebook site and our Twitter feed, and I hope for the best.

Was 2,000 the single high point, or was that closer to average? I'd say that's pretty darn good for the Podunk Press in an area with spotty high-speed.

 

[Gomer]

We used to only post a few stories but have moved to an automated system that posts everything, with a paywall built in. We go in after deadline and make a select few stories free to read.

We tried video, but staff layoffs have forced that to be scaled back in a big way.

We had a Twitter feed that was automated off of RSS feeds, but was stagnant for the past year until a couple people in the office decided to start using it today. In between I started using Twitter in a work capacity.

We've had full print PDF's online for print subscribers for the past four years as well. Opened an online-only subscription in the past year.

 

[flexmaster33]

I think hooking up print subscribers with full web access is a great option...I would be more inspired to do web work if I knew people were paying for the product.

Supplying freeloaders with information others are paying for boggles my mind.

Non-subscribers should get short snippets only...enough to read a headline and a paragraph or two to see who won the game...if you want the full story you should be buying a subscription.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

Our approach seems to change quite frequently.

First, it was post everything. Then it was just short game summaries, leave the long gamers and features for the paper. Who knows what it will be next.

I understand things need to change from time to time when you learn what works and what doesn't and that it is my responsibility to keep up with the changes, but keeping up with them can be frustrating.

I also have stringers who are still in the "turn in the story for the paper once a week" mindset (we're weeklies). Because we can't pay them any more than we already do, I wonder how fair it is to ask them to file right after games. Maybe I've always been afraid to be too demanding of stringers because I look at it as they're doing me the favor and if I ask too much without a commensurate increase in pay, they'd just leave and I'd be stuck with more work, but maybe it is a case of you get what you demand.

I've said this before too, but based on my own unscientific observations, our readers view us as a newspaper, not a Web site. I've had people ask us if a competitor's site is owned by us. With sports, I think people seem to want more scrapbook stuff and the print edition seems to be what they want for that.

 

[Stitch]

I think hooking up print subscribers with full web access is a great option...I would be more inspired to do web work if I knew people were paying for the product.

Supplying freeloaders with information others are paying for boggles my mind.

Non-subscribers should get short snippets only...enough to read a headline and a paragraph or two to see who won the game...if you want the full story you should be buying a subscription.

Web readers aren't freeloaders and that's a terrible mindset. No one is forcing your paper to give its content away for free. I don't see why people who like the Web would take the paper. I don't need to see kids and puppies on the front page.